Shirley’s Football Club’s Therize Millare, right, dribbles away from a Matansa FC defender during the first half of their girls U16 division game in the 2018 NMIFA Fall Youth League last Saturday at the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

The shorthanded Shirley’s Football Club escaped with a 3-2 victory against Matansa FC in the opening game in the girls U16 division of the 2018 NMIFA Fall Youth League last Saturday at the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville.

Pauline Shaine Viray delivered the go-ahead goal for Shirley’s, which played in the opener minus three of its key players—Joannah Carreon, Lilian Podziewski, and Katrina Costales. The three Shirley’s FC standouts are in Tajikistan, suiting up for the CNMI U16 Women’s National Team that is competing in the AFC U16 Women’s Championship 2019 Qualifiers.

With its depleted roster, Shirley’s managed to come up with only six players at the start of its match, but Katherine Magat quickly stepped up in absence of her three teammates, scoring right in the second minute of the game. A goal from Jerlyn Castillo made it two in a row for Shirley’s six minutes later. Matansa then moved within one, thanks to Kate Bae’s conversion two minutes before the 35-minute first half wrapped up.

Bae knocked in another one in the 39th minute, as Matansa became more aggressive on offense despite the arrival of two more Shirley’s defenders. With the game tied and Matansa still making several attempts in a bid to steal the win, Viray came to Shirley’s rescue, as she scored with only five minutes left in the game.
TanHoldings 3, Paire 0
In the second game, TanHoldings shut down Paire.
Three different players made it to the board in TanHoldings’ season debut. Julie Ann Capayas averted a scoreless first half when she found the back of the net in the 34th minute. Andrei Kaith Lynn Chavez also delivered for TanHoldings in their first game with her shot in the 50th minute, while Alyssa Angeles closed out for the winning team in the 56th.
After dispatching Paire, TanHoldings will go for win No. 2 this Saturday when it takes on Shirley’s in the last game in the weekend triple-header at 4pm.

Maury Zon Tybaco powered MP United to victory after making a hat trick. She got her first two goals in back-to-back fashion after scoring in the 22nd and 32nd minute and handing MP United a 3-1 halftime lead. Audrey Castro nailed the other goal for MPU in the first half, while Mariana Castro recorded the lone goal for Southern United.

Castro also delivered the two other goals for Southern United in the second half, but these were not enough to bring her team back into the game, as MP United countered with four. Stellalou McCallion handed MPU its fourth goal in the 38th minute and had her second in the 53rd, while Tybaco completed her hat trick in the 52nd. Maya Shimizu was the other MPU player that hit the board in the second half.

After the easy win, MP United is expected to have a tougher assignment this Saturday when it duels defending champion Kanoa at 2:30pm. Southern United, on the other hand, will face Paire in the curtain raiser at 1pm.

Taka Borja, who missed the team’s season debut, reported back for duty and hit the dagger in the 60th minute. Ryuto Yanai registered the other goal for TanHoldings in the sixth minute, while Kanoa got an own goal in the second half of its first game this season.

Meanwhile, the MP United-Matansa tiff in the first game last weekend ended in a scoreless draw. After the standoff, MP United will try to get win No. 2 this Friday when it squares off against TanHoldings at 7pm. In the 5:30pm match, it will be Kanoa versus Shirley’s.

Roselyn Monroyo | Reporter

Roselyn Monroyo is the sports reporter of Saipan Tribune. She has been covering sports competitions for more than two decades. She is a basketball fan and learned to write baseball and football stories when she came to Saipan in 2005.

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